Making Complex Sentences

1. Making Complex Sentences noun clauses adverbial clauses

2. Types of sentences • Simple sentences: one independent clause (one subject, one verb) • Compound sentences: two independent clauses joined by a semicolon, a comma + coordinating conjunction, or a transition. • Complex sentences • Compound-complex sentences

3. What is a complex sentence? • A complex sentence contains two or more clauses: an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. • The dependent clause may be a noun clause, an adjective clause, or an adverb clause. • A dependent clause begins with a subordinator (subordinating conjunction) and contains a subject and a verb. • A dependent clause is not a complete idea and cannot stand alone.

4. Examples of complex sentences • complex sentence with an adverbial clause: • After I finish washing the dishes, I ought to mow the lawn. • complex sentence with a relative clause: • A good friend is a person who accepts you for yourself. • I’m looking for a car that gets good gas mileage. • complex sentence with a noun clause: • I think that you are absolutely right. • I’m not sure when we are supposed to finish the project.

5. Compound-complex sentences • A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. • A good friend is a person who accepts you as you are, and everyone needs a good friend.

6. Try it yourself • Analyze the text in Exercise 2, page 22 of Grammar Troublespots. Can you combine the seven sentences into one?

7. Think about it • Do you use a variety of sentence patterns in your writing? If not, why not? Write your ideas in your notebook. • Which type of sentence do you usually use? rarely use? Why? Write your ideas in your notebook.

8. Model sentences • In your notebook, write a model complex sentence that contains an adverbial clause, and a model compound-complex sentence. • A sentence with a dependent clause at the beginning (use a comma) • A sentence with a dependent clause at the end (don’t use a comma) • A sentence with a noun clause from a question • A sentence with a noun clause from a statement using the subjunctive

9. Adverbial clauses • Reveal information about time, place, manner, frequency, purpose, reason, conditions, and other meanings. • Begin with a subordinator (also called subordinating conjunction) and contain a subject and a verb.

10. Problems with adverbial clauses 1 • Adverb clauses alone are fragments. They must be joined to independent clauses. • Jay joined the military. Because he wanted leadership experience and money for tuition. • Jay joined the military because he wanted leadership experience and money for tuition.

11. Problems with adverbial clauses 2 • Use present tense verbs in time clauses referring to the future. • X As soon as she will get here, I’ll tell her the bad news. • As soon as she gets here, I’ll tell her the bad news. • Choose the correct subordinator for your meaning.

12. A partial list of adverbial clause subordinators

13. Think about it • Are you aware of any problems you have with adverbial clauses? Take a moment to write down your ideas in your notebook. • Choose five adverbial subordinators you’ve never used before but would like to learn. • Write model sentences in your notebook. • Use one of these sentences for your daily practice.

14. Noun clauses • Noun clauses are clauses which function as nouns in a sentence. They can be subjects, objects, or objects of prepositions. • Noun clauses can be formed from statements, yes/no questions, or information questions.

15. Noun clauses from information questions • Information questions begin with wh- words such as who, when, where, etc. • Question word order is not used in noun clauses. Use S-V-O word order. • Omit “do”. Keep the wh- word. • Where does she live? • I don’t know where she lives. • What countries has he visited? • I’m not sure what countries he has visited.

16. Noun clauses from yes/no questions • Introduce a noun clause made from a yes/no question with “whether” or “if”. • “or not” can be used immediately after “whether” or at the end of the sentence. It can also be used at the end of the sentence with “if”. • Use S-V-O word order. • Can Julie come to the meeting? • I wonder if Julie can come to the meeting (or not). • I wonder whether (or not) Julie can come to the meeting. • I wonder whether Julie can come to the meeting (or not).

17. Noun clauses from statements • Statements can be made into noun clauses by adding “that” to the beginning of the statement. • When the noun clause comes at the beginning of the sentence, “that” is required. When it comes later in the sentence, “that” may be omitted. It is always unstressed. • That Einstein was a genius is obvious. • It’s obvious (that) Einstein was a genius.

18. Problems with noun clauses • Use the subjunctive (base form) with certain verbs and adjectives showing urgency or importance. • It is imperative that he leave at once! • We recommend that you be on time. • Be sure to use S-V-O word order.

19. Think about it • In your notebook, write three model sentences to practice noun clauses: • a noun clause from an information question • a noun clause from a yes/no question • a noun clause from a statement using the subjunctive